Vannøya Island Photography Tour
10th to 15th November 2024 - Photo Workshop - Maximum 4 participants
SOLD OUT! Sign up for the next one here
WILDLIFE - SAILING - ORCAS & WHALES - NORTHERN LIGHTS
Vannøya is an island of 232 km2 with less than 800 inhabitants, located along the Norwegian coast in the north-western most part of Troms region: 440 km north of the Arctic Circle, coordinates 70.10 N, 20.12 E. It is reachable by ferry after one hour driving North of Tromsø.
This is an experience crafted for you nature and photography enthusiasts, both beginners or more experienced, to immerse yourself for a few days in one of the wildest and least touristy corners of Scandinavia. Vannøya is still an unknown island for many and you can be sure that besides the few fishermen living there and the local wildlife, we will most likely not see anyone else.
If the weather conditions allow, we will head out at sea on a sailing boat to closer photograph the majestic cliffs of Nord-Fugløya and Arnøya islands, as well as having a chance to bring home stunning pictures of orcas and humpbacks whales which populate the fjords in the area during that time of the year!
Your guide will assist you on your photography both in the field and in post production, teaching you techniques and tips in order to get the most out of the landscapes and light that Nature will throw at us.
Using a 4x4 Toyota Land Cruiser, we will explore around the island and do some easy trekking, in order to reach secluded spots and visiting the tiny fishing villages which give life to the locals since hundreds of years. The Northern Lights are often seen from the cozy living room of the guesthouse we will be staying at, but we will also actively chase clear skies around the island if needed.
An adventure at the edge of the world!
TOUR DETAILS
PRICE: 28.000 NOK
GROUP SIZE: max 4 participants
TOUR STARTS: November 10th, 08:00am
TOUR ENDS: November 15th, 17:00pm
TOUR TYPE: a normal level of fitness is required to join this multi day tour
ACTIVITIES: Whale watching & photography by sail boat, light hiking, sightseeing, photography lessons
WHAT’S INCLUDED
Professional Photography Guide
Accommodation and all the meals (alcohol is not included)
All the excursions around Vannøya
Ice crampons / snow rackets / head lamps
Thermal suits, hand & foot warmers
Transport from/to Tromsø
Professional Camera Tripods
WHAT TO BRING
Your camera and lenses (at least a wide angle and a zoom lens)
Adventure mood turned on!
Warm clothes, unsure how to dress?
Read “TOUR CLOTHING & EQUIPMENT”
Your personal travel insurance
If you have it, your laptop for post producting your photos
A backpack for your camera gear
On the island of Vanna (from the Norse vǫrn), being overlooked by the Barents Sea, the weather can change every 5 minutes. The persistent winds, together with the ice that covers it during the long winters, have elegantly shaped it and left it as nearly bare of vegetation as fascinating. It has peaks of 1000 meters elevation, a rugged coastline with sandy beaches and breathtaking views over the open ocean and the neighbouring islands. Looking North, the only piece of visible land is the smaller island of Nord-Fugløya, a kingdom of dramatic cliffs.
Our headquarter will be Nordlight, a refuge for travellers and dreamers at the edge of the world. Located on a small peninsula, with a windswept cape, a small bay appreciated by orcas and a tundra of rocks and grasses, it is home for seagulls, woodcocks, terns, sheep and reindeer. Marco, our host, has navigated through half of the world with his sail boat Cadeau 44, before setting anchor up here.
During these six days, we will focus on what landscape photography is all about: being immersed in Nature, looking and waiting for the best light, learning to soak in the moments and made them ours.
Between ocean and mountains.
Ready for an unforgettable experience?
VANNØYA PHOTO TOUR ITINERARY
During this photography workshop, we will study the different aspects related to landscape photography, from shooting theory to post-production, alternating photo sessions with theoretical sessions.
Our guesthouse base camp has a large living room to work, share moments of leisure and eat delicious meals prepared from our hosts using local products! It is located directly on the sea, with stunning views all around.
Every day we will analyse the weather forecast together, to find out which parts of the island will have the highest possibilities for dramatic skies during the day, brighter colours for sunrises and sunsets, and clearer skies at night for the aurora. The sailing excursions will be decided based on the weather conditions, which if favourable will let us go out at sea at least on two occasions on different days.
Day 1 - November 10th, Sunday
The tour will start from Tromsø on Sunday, November 10th in the morning, so you must arrive in Tromsø at least the day before (Saturday 9th). You will be picked up at your accommodation (pick up time to be confirmed later). Short introduction of all the participants before heading North of Tromsø, for about one hour drive. A 30 minutes ferry crossing will take us to Vannøya, where we will eventually reach our guesthouse and undo our luggage. Lunch prepared from our hosts and then off for a first quick tour of the surroundings, catching our first sunset! Once the darkness will settle in, we will return to our accommodation and get some rest. If conditions are favourable, we may be lucky and experience the northern lights right away on the first night there. Crossing fingers and toes!
Day 2
It is difficult to write an exact program due to the sudden weather changes in the Arctic, but we will adapt the program day by day to offer you the best experience. After breakfast, we will be setting off for the first day of exploration of Vannøya by car, reaching the fine sandy beaches and fishing villages located on its Northern and Western sides. Here, a first photography field lesson will take place. Return to our headquarters for lunch, for a later visit at the nearer fishing village of Kristoffervalen, on the Eastern side of the island, where our sail boat is docked. Our skipper will show us the boat in order to get familiar with it for the next days adventures, and after some free time for rest and dinner, we will be on the lookout for auroras again!
Day 3
Sailing time! We will leave the anchor early in the morning to get the most of the hours of daylight, looking for orcas and humpback whales that are usually feeding on herring up there at this time of the year. The excursion lenght depends on the area where the whales will be, and on the weather and sea conditions. Most times they hang around between Vannøya and Arnøya islands, sometimes further away, but being wildlife their presence cannot be guaranteed. Once returned from the excursion, we will go through the photos taken and do a shared post production lesson. Eyes open again in the evening for the auroras, but you’re also allowed to sleep after some time :)
Day 4
In mid November the amount of snow on the ground is very unpredictable. There could be no snow at sea level, or from 5 to 40 cm. Depending on this, we will either go for a easy snowshoe walk or a regular hike (ice micro crampons are provided in case of icy conditions) in order to reach even more secluded locations and have a wonderful time out in Nature, sipping in every bit of our time and the views surrounding us, freezing them with our cameras. Once back from the hike, we will have dinner and later on head out for a night photography session. The moonlight which will be present during the days of the workshop, will make for enhanced depth of field in our photographs, thanks to the shadows and softer light it creates. A pure pleasure for the eyes!
Day 5
Out with the sailboat once again! This time we will set our focus on the wildest cliffs that you can find in Troms region: Nord Fugløya island. We will all have admired the fascinating silhouette of this island from distance since day one already, as it is right on our view north from the guesthouse. But getting closer to it, will fully reveal its steep and dramatic cliffs that make it a unlivable kingdom for human beings. Our camera shutters will get a proper work out while sailing around it! Back at the guesthouse there will be the last post production session where we will quickly go through all the photos taken together during our stay, in order to have an overview of what we got to experience, the different situations, lights as well as discussing together what has been impactful for us and share our points of view. Landscape photography is a form of art that sets us in Nature, each of us in a different way!
Day 6 - November 15th, Friday
After a lazy morning with time to pack our things up and inprint in our eyes for the last time the views that surround the guesthouse, we will have lunch and then make our way back to Tromsø. Expected arrival time in town around 17:00 pm, where we will conclude the tour and you will be dropped off at your own accommodation so that you can fly back home over the weekend (Sunday is probably better for the return flight, in case of stormy weather we may have cancelled ferries from Vannøya on the Friday, a bit of flexibility is needed up here)
Our guesthouse and its surroundings:
IMPORTANT INFORMATIONS
This tour is intended for photography enthusiast (also beginners!), for maximum of 4 participants. THE TOUR IS NOW SOLD OUT, SIGN UP FOR THE NEXT ONE HERE!
This tour is not suitable for people with any injury, sickness, sea sickness, movement disability, wheelchairs, walkers etc.
You don’t need to have professional camera equipment, but a basic DSLR or mirrorless camera will do. Please get in touch if you are unsure about your equipment and would like to have more informations about. Camera rental with a couple of lenses is also possible, for 1500 NOK extra, you’ll only need your own SD card.
TERMS AND CONDITIONS
This tour is offered from a cooperation between Arctic Photo Guide ENK and Nordlight NUF. The payment is divided in two steps (but can also be paid all at once if preferred):
_30% deposit to be paid at reservation (8.400 NOK)
_70% remaining to be paid not later than Oct 7th (19.600 NOK)
If you need to cancel your reservation for a refund you can do that until October 7th, but the 30% deposit is not refundable.
If you cancel your reservation later than October 7th, you will not be entitled to any refund.
Looking forward to explore together!